Marking and lettering packages



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MARKING AND LETTERING PACKAGES, &c.

Speccation of Letters :Patent No. 3,771, dated October 3,184.4.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM FRANCIS and l/VILLIAM JOHNSTON, of Vaynesville, in the county of Haywood and State of a North Carolina, have invented a new mode of 4marking and let-tering packages of all kinds, sign-boards, stationery, and other lettering in` general, together with `the art of manufacturing type and` constructing machinery necessary for the same; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

The nature of `our invention consists in running a composition of glue and molasses (with other materials if deemed necessary to elasticity and preservation) into molds of letters, gures and devices &c. formed in lines upon which (while in a warm state) is applied thin slats of wood or other substances of the width of the lines with beveled edges which adhering` to, is drawn with, the composition from the molds, when said composition becomes properly cooled. the molds being previously oiled. These slat-s when cut or separated between the letters form type. `The molds are constructed either, by, cutting or impressing the shape of the letter, figure or design in stone, wood, metal or other material or by forming let ters of any desired substance which placed in lines with necessary guides, around, in and around which molten glass, metal, plas- `ter of Paris or other substance can be run or laid so as to form a line of molds when the letters are extracted. i

The type when made are placed in the order required in a hand press, ,'formed of bars of wood or other material with wire or other springs placed at regular distances fastened on said bars on the top or surface of which said springs are attached small blocks of wood or other material forming a smooth level surface on which are placed the type, and fastened by means of slides or otherwise, the springs admitting the type, and blocks on which the type are placed to play in a groove formed in the bars of the press for that purpose and giving way when the face of the type touch an uneven surface or until the whole surface of the type and that of the `package or article marked come in complete contact with each other. The press may also be constructed in the form of a square, hexagonal or octagonal bar, or other desirable shape on each square or face of which is placed the type and blocks `with the springs'underneath them as in the press iirst described. This last form is more necessary .for small narrow packages, for hasty and abbreviated purpose, the type may be used without springs, by means, of elastic slats. The

inking is performed by making a flat sur-1 face of a composition differing but little from that of the type and by the intermediate means of a hand roller or rollers, if preferred; the inker type rollers and other lixtures to be kept in a proper consistency by means of fine sponge saturated or sprinkled with necessary ingredients to eifect that object if thoughtnecessary the whole designed to be fitted upin a portable box, when desired.

In the drawings Figure l shows the upper side of the press. It consists of an oblong or other shaped bed plate a having a series o-f fo-ur slots more or less, o, cut through it either in straight lines as shown in the drawing or curved to suit the purposes for which it is intended. On the back of this plate a, are two parallel cleats c, placed at right angles to the slots Z). These cleats c, through which holes are mortised in a horizontal direction over the slots in the plate, have bars Z inserted in them eX- tending from one to the other directly over, and parallel with the slots. The slots Z9, are filled with square blocks c, each one of which can move independent of the other; between each of these blocks and the bars CZ above named are placed small spiral springs f, which keep the blocks pressed out parallel with the face of the plate a. The face side is shown in Fig. 2, and above the face there is a narrow strip g of thin metal running from one end to the other and fastened permanently to the face of the plate between two rows of the blocks--between the next two rows on each side, are other and similar plates h., fastened by means of pins running through slots z', cut therein so that said plates or strips can be moved up toward the stationary one g, and outside of all the rows of blocks there are other plates Z, made to slide up similarly but with oblique slots la, in them so as to cramp the type placed between the bars.V These type P, T, Z, &c. are formed down to the shoulder of an elastic substance on a flat piece of wood about the thickness of the strips g, 7L, Z, which are just the size of the blocks in the press, and When used are placed on them, and fastened by the strips as above described. It Will be obvious that when said types are inked, which is done by the 'usual methods and pressed upon bales of goods or other even or uneven surfaces the impression will be perfect the Y letters and springs yielding to the inequalities of the surface to be stamped.

Our usual method of forming the letter is to construct a mold similar to that shown Vin Fig. 3, of any suitable substance with the letters in intaglio and pour into them a composition of glue and molasses. Wethen put over them a strip of Wood While the composition is melted and let it adhere thereto. When cool the Wood is cut to proper lengths and removed With the letter adhering as shown at Z, Fig. 2.

described, so as to insure the successful application of the type, to even or uneven surfaces, using for that purpose any material or compound that Will produce the intended effect.

WILLIAM FRANCIS. WM. JOHNSTON. Vitnesses: Y

JACKSON J oHNsToN, JOHN C. BURGNER. 

